THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 21, 1938.
HEAVYWEIGHTS WHO
BORE THE CROWD ANCHOR
DRASTIC ACTION MUST
BE TAKEN
now.
ANOTHER CHALLENGER FOR TOMMY FARR
(By B. BENNISON)
London, December 4.
THE more intelligent of the boxing public are asking what the big promoters intend doing Will they, in the matter of heavy-weights, close down, or will they continue to risk losing money by employing and' presenting them at their own valuation.
SOMETHING DRASTIC REQUIRES TO BE DONE, IF WE ARE TO BE SPARED ANOTHER SUCH WOEFUL TRAVESTY ON THE SPORT OF FIGHTING AS THAT WHICH WAS PRE- SENTED AT HARRINGAY LAST MONDAY NIGHT.
The remedy is not with the Board of Control. It rests with the promoters and the responsible critics of boxing. A merely big strong lusty fellow is not necessarily a boxer, neither may his capacity be estimated by the rating of his manager. For all too long, values have been assessed by scales and yard-stick. It has seldom been that judgments have been arrived at by any standard of skill.
The prevailing idea is that the bigger the fighter the better from a box-office point of view. Physical hugeness is counted as "colour," "personality,” and what not. Little or no heed is paid to the fact that, as a class,
heavy-weights the world over are ed four fights by the National the poorest boxers. The vast Sporting Club, who brought him majority are complete strangers from New York. I am interested to the science of boxing. Yet to see what happens. I am told they are the most handsomely that he proposes to spend Christ- paid and pampered.
mas with his people. Maybe be
If it had not been for a couple will decide to confine his activities of boy bantams, scarcely known to America and his native Canada. outside their own particular neigh-I am almost afraid he has burned bourhood, the latest Harringay his boats here. venture would have been without a
I
ANOTHER CHALLENGER really redeeming feature. They Jack London, having knocked saved the ship. Maurice Strick-out Manuel Abrew, has joined the land and Al Delaney, who fought army of Farr's challengers if for a place among the contenders were the Hartlepools giant, I for the Empire title, for all they should court as many fights as pos- delivered might well have been mis-sible, and forget the Welshman taken for novices.
MOST WEARISOME
The crowd booed and- ridiculed
until Farr has got through his American engagements.
That goes for all the hunters of
them from the opening to the end the scalp of the Britist champion. of the last round, when C. B. Len Harvey has asked me to broad- Thomas, the referee, decided that cast that he has backing up to Strickland was the winner on £2000 for a fight with Farr, but, points. I felt sorry for the man realising that Tommy is under con- in charge. How he must. have tract with Mike Jacobs for an in- been tempted to declare no contest! definite period, he especially in- Amore wearisome affair I have vites Jack Doyle to toe the line. not seen for years.
in- And since the Irishman is credibly bad.-
that he can make a clean sweep of Strickland, through his Ameri- pretenders to the kingdom of Farr, can manager, excused himself be- he will perhaps not hesitate to put cause of a sudden illness. He as- down a couple of thousand as 2 sured me that he wanted to cry the side-bet. fight-off during the week-end.
It was
BOARD'S-DECISION.
sure
BEER
SATISFIES!
Prefreshing
Ho
“BREWED FOR
THE TROPICS"
OT Summer days demand more. than just a cool drink. You need quick-energy, replacing those necessary minerals that the heat takes out of you.
ANCHOR BEER IS THE ANSWER
SOLE AGENTS
GILMAN & CO., LTD.
GLOUCESTER ARCADE.
"Maurice was in no condition to The position is such that it is FRENCH
"fight," he declared. “Then," I extremely unlikely that there will
answered, "he should have been put be anything doing. Perhaps the RUGBY TEAM
to e
to bed in fairness to the promoters Board of Control will make - baste and all the people who have paid name the heavy-weights to FOR AUSTRALIA good money." Daly's reply was engage in their championship "We did not want to disappoint the eliminator, and also impose a time people.” “But" I insisted, "you limit for the defence of the title
have unintentionally
I
agree
by Farr.
After several postponements
the
invitation to France to send a Rugby League team to Australia is now de-
the uncertainty.
not only disappointed them. You Word has been sent to the Welsh-finite. The NS.W. decision ends
have made them angry!
DELANEY'S BOATS BURNED ?..
man, who, I understand, intends to return to New York on the 16th of
TELEPHONE 30986.
JOCKEY IN DIVORCE. SUIT
London, December 16. The divorce petition brought by Mrs. A. M. Smirke against her husband, Charles Smirke, the well-known jockey, winner of a numbe. – of classic races, is listed for hearing before Mr. Justice Buckmill in the Divorce Court to-day, Mr. and Mrs. Smirke were married in 1928, Smirke being the daughter Epsom trainer, Mr. George Hyams. The petition is undefended.
ENGLAND BOWLER FOR LEAGUE
Delaney got me all wrong. Ithis month, that if he beats an There appears to be some differ- saw in him a heavy-weight far opponent selected by Mike Jacobsence between the Kangaroos manag-- E. W. Clark, the England fast above the average. He has forced before January is out, he will be ers and the French control, seing left-arm bowler, who was not re- me to the conclusion that he is given a match with James J. Brad-that M. Blein, the French secretary, engaged this year by Northampton- just another fighter, and a mo- dock, the winner to meet Joe Louis has cabled to the Rugby League rug- shire, has joined Darlington, the derate one at that.
in the summer for the world's cham- gesting that instructions be sent to North Yorkshire and South Durham I understand that he was promis-pionship.
the managers.
League club.